Champions League: Mourinho’s Benfica swat aside Napoli while PSG draw blank | Champions League

Benfica’s Richard Ríos scored one purpose and arrange one other to seal a significant 2-0 victory towards Napoli on Wednesday, boosting the Portuguese aspect’s hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stage.

The consequence reignited Benfica’s European marketing campaign, clinching a second consecutive win after a poor begin and lifting them to 6 factors and as much as twenty fifth place, only one level outdoors the playoff spots. Napoli slipped to twenty third on seven factors.

Benfica dominated the early exchanges, as Nicolás Otamendi headed over inside six minutes earlier than the Napoli goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was known as into motion, pulling off an excellent one-handed save to disclaim the hosts on 11 minutes. The strain stored build up and Milinkovic-Savic’s poor clearance handed Fredrik Aursnes a golden probability however the midfielder fired into the aspect netting.

The breakthrough arrived on 20 minutes when a floated cross dropped right into a crowded space, with Franjo Ivanovic’s knockdown triggering a scramble to which Ríos reacted quickest, steering in from shut vary.

Benfica doubled their lead 5 minutes into the second half when Ríos rolled an inch-perfect ball throughout the field for Leandro Barreiro, who darted in entrance of his marker and flicked a sensible end contained in the close to submit.

José Mourinho’s aspect pressed for a 3rd purpose, however Milinkovic-Savic stored the rating down with two sensible saves to disclaim Vangelis Pavlidis. Napoli appeared for a manner again via David Neres and Scott McTominay however their assaults hardly ever troubled the Benfica backline because the guests slumped to a 3rd defeat within the competitors.

Paris Saint-Germain performed out their first goalless draw of the season at Athletic Bilbao however stayed within the driving seat for direct qualification for the final 16 after a string of high quality saves by the house goalkeeper Unai Simón denied the French champions.

Luis Enrique’s aspect had the clearest probabilities after being below strain within the first half, however Simón produced a number of very good saves and Ousmane Dembélé’s absence was as soon as once more felt up entrance by the guests. The consequence left PSG in third place within the 36-team league with 13 factors from six video games, whereas Athletic are twenty eighth on 5 factors, two factors from the playoff locations.

Julian Brandt scored two targets for Borussia Dortmund however they needed to accept some extent because the guests Bodø/Glimt twice got here from behind to safe a 2-2 draw.

Brandt gave Dortmund the lead following a poor go from Haitam Aleesami, however the latter made amends when he equalised simply earlier than half-time. The house aspect utilized loads of strain after the break and have been rewarded early as Brandt scored his second with a tap-in from a rebound, earlier than Jens Petter Hauge restored parity once more for the guests quarter-hour from the top.

The draw leaves Dortmund tenth within the desk with 11 factors from their six video games, whereas Bodø/Glimt stay winless and in thirty second.

Juventus registered their first dwelling win of this season’s Champions League however have been made to battle earlier than overcoming Pafos 2-0 at dwelling because of second-half targets from Weston McKennie and Jonathan David.

The edges have been stage on factors going into the sport and Pafos proved greater than a match for his or her extra illustrious Italian opponents for lengthy intervals, however Juventus secured a second successive win to spice up their European hopes.

Juventus are seventeenth within the standings on 9 factors whereas Pafos are twenty sixth on six factors, with the highest eight groups qualifying for the knockout stage and the following 16 going into the playoffs for the opposite eight spots.

Ajax claimed their first Champions League factors this season as they scored three late targets to safe a 4-2 win at Qarabag, whereas Villarreal stayed winless as they misplaced 3-2 at dwelling towards Copenhagen.

Qarabag took the lead within the tenth minute when Camilo Dúran chased down an extended go and from distance lobbed the advancing Ajax keeper Vitezslav Jaros. Ajax equalised six minutes earlier than the break with Kasper Dolberg slicing inside and rifling a shot from distance into the underside nook.

The hosts retook the lead two minutes after half-time in Azerbaijan when Matheus Silva’s shot took a deflection off the defender Lucas Rosa. With 5 defeats from their first 5 league section video games, Ajax have been successfully going through elimination with one other defeat – however the guests produced a dramatic late fightback.

Oscar Gloukh drew Ajax stage once more 11 minutes from time with a drilled low shot into the underside nook. 4 minutes later, the guests went forward as Anton Gaaei completed a counterattack with a high quality end into the highest nook. Gloukh made positive of the win together with his second purpose within the final minute.

In Spain, Copenhagen took a second-minute lead after Mohamed Elyounoussi volleyed dwelling from Marcos López’s floated cross. Villarreal, who had taken only one level from 5 matches to date, equalised two minutes after the break when Santi Comesaña bundled the ball dwelling on the again submit.

Copenhagen have been again in entrance only one minute later via Elias Achouri’s first-time end from Yoram Zague’s cross, however the hosts levelled once more within the 56th minute as Tani Oluwaseyi poked a shot via the legs of the defender Junnosuke Suzuki and previous the visiting keeper, Dominik Kotarski.

With the sport heading for a draw that will swimsuit neither aspect, Copenhagen struck within the ninetieth minute to spice up their very own playoff hopes. Andreas Cornelius reacted quickest to a blocked effort from Elyounoussi, pouncing to depart Villarreal, who’re third in La Liga, getting ready to early elimination.